Elevator



Jan 25, 1927.

ELEVATOR Filed Jan. 13, 1926 Ji, [2 q, 5.

la /5 /Z uli) Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

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1,615,318 PATENT oar ice.

*BURToNCHAR-Lgns ,VANEMOM or -sAN .FRANcIseQ oAmFoRN-IA, .Assrenlonro eAMEs lM. Korean-TRUSTEE, or OAKLAND, JCALIFRNIA.

IELEVATOR.

application filed January ,ih/Iy ,invention relatesto fthe class of framelevators; and it concerns, Eprimarily, structures in ivvhich, for any reasonethe platform and thera1n are vfreely separable.

:In most elevator,structuresthe connection between :the platform andthe ram lcan `be and isfa permanent one,fsuch, ifor'example as a connection ,formedfby fbolting the ram headtoihebottomofthe platform. In .such cases, the-connectionfcan ,be .made as rigid and unyiel-ding'as may .be necessary to iinsure movement Without cramping or distortion stresses of any kind, and #to maintain the 'desired -horizontalityofthe platform.

There are .other conditions, however, which -require ja freely :separable connection between the ram fand platform, as, for eXh ample the case of a platform Which 'is intended to Abe moved v,from .and lclear -of -`the rain, `r fto be vindividually manipulated in any mannernindependcntlyof the rain. lObviously, 1in fsuch a case the Iproblem ,involves a connection which fis capableof Vbeing both readily `made @for .elevating .function and easily broken by fintention, t0 ,enable the platform Pto :be independently manipulated. iSuch :Structures now fi-nd place -in theatres where platforms are provided, -Which -norinallyrrestindependently upon a stage licor and are litted with power tranmttingfdevices which .permit Atheir manipulation upon. said floor in various directions, ysaid platforms being also :adapted ,-to be elevated by rams .Ito complete their .movements as ,may hecalled .for 1in the accomplishment of pre determined scenic effects.

In such cases, it is apparent that theconnection between the ram and the platform must not .only kbe a separable fone, readily made and broken, but also that .it shall ibe as rigid .and ii'nyielding as is ...possible in lmechanical gfpractise, in lorder to prevent distortion stress .fand to insure the horizontality of the platform; and Athis listhe :more important in .fthe v.case of relatively ,large plat'- forms 1 such as 1in theatres, ,-Where ya plurality of rams are required, :because .reliance must berplaced .uponfth'e ,rigidi-tyof fthe .connection between theplatlform andrams to insure thc travel `of all Athe -rams equally and f as a .funit @ne '.obj'ectof-fmy invention is, `to provide ,a rigid separable connection bet-Ween la platform endian :elevati-ngif ram. 'iEhisobi-ect is attained 'by entering fthe :ram ywvith a. vslip fit into a socket inithe fplatformgto :a depth `and 13, `1926. SerialiNd 58059.28.

ivitha Alit necessary-to insurelateralrigidity, and Wholly withdrawing it-,fromsaid socket.

Another object of my invention .is lto insureasperfectgalit of theiram into its socket as is `mechanically ,possible This object is reached by `Ycorrespondingly tapering vthe soc-liet and-the enteringQheadzof the ram.

Still another-object is to insurethe .ready release for Withdrawal ,of the Vram A.from .the socket. This I att-ain bythe novel disposition of a resilient member seated .in :the ram head, acting `in conjunction `with a pressure member associated'with the socket.

Although my invention is adapted-for-and may be used ,with any platform .under conditions requiring vits separable .connection with iits elevating ram, ,I shall hereiu, `.for the -sale of example, ,and as sa disclosure of its utility, describe and illustrate it in conneet-ion with a theatre stage gplatform; `fbut it is to be understood that {Ifaminot fto-be confined to such aise, incr to the precise details of the mechanical i structure of ithe .connection ,between the :rams and :the platform, since chan-gres ymay tbe @nado therein xWithout departing froin-thefspiritfof my invention as defined by .the claims hereunto appended.

-In `the accompanying' drawings:-

Fc'. -l 'is a vertical section, Vbroken lin length, :showings staaeyflcor ande "platform adapted for movement upon .tracks in said floor, andshoiving, in verticalflsection,fbrolen two rams and their separable socket connections \.Wi th said platform.

2 is a .tcp :p1-en view, broken, nf Fig. .1.

3 `is-a vertical section, enlarged, of Said Socket connectonathe i connection being fully made fand ready for :elevating jfunc-f tion..

4t fis a vertical section .showing the connection Asanararted ldue fto :the functioning 0f #the wW'ithdreverie" .serine i' 11 indicates thelstrueture, in general, of Sta-ee floor. 1.2 indica-tes, rin like/:mannen ia platform, which by means of Wheels 3 running on rails fis :adapted ff'or :movement upon theffloor 1. Forfgtheysake of .simplicity I have :shown only :some gears .4 =and have omitted, as ffofrm-ineg -no -part -of lrny invention, the vrest of {the power (connections by which the ,movements `Q fvthe platform upon the floor fare' reflected, `since mv invention concerns onli7 ithe elevation of #che platform and the novel separablerani connections for vinteri-orly, as seen at 6, to afford ready en trance to their cavities.

Two rams are here shown. Each coinprises a casing member 7 and a piston or ram-member 8, fluid pressure being admitted to the casings by the pipes 9.

In order to insure accurate vertical movement of the rams 8, I steady them at three points, one at IO at the foot, a second at the stuffing boxes l1 at the top of the casings, and a third at the flared guide plates l2, bolted up under the stage floor in vertical alignment with the socket members 5 in the platform 2.

It will now be seen that assuming the platform 2 to be in proper position on the tracks of the floor l, the ram member 8 rising, will enter the socket members 5 with a slip lit and when fully embedded therein will elevate said-platform. Also that on the reverse movement when the platform reaches and rests upon the floor tracks, the rams will withdraw wholly from the sockets. If now there be assumed as perfect line movements of the rams and as true fittings of the rams in the socket-s as are mechanically possible, it follows that according to the effective depth of the sockets a separable slip fit connection is provided which will be practically laterally rigid during functioning and which will therefore preserve the horizontality of the platform; and where a plurality of rams are used such rigid connections will also insure equal and unitary action of the rams, since the connections are unyielding; and as long as they preserve the normal planes of angularity between the platform. and rams, one ram cannot get ahead of or lag behind the other.

I have thus far considered the socketed connection without regard to any special condition of its contacting surfaces, since both the bore of the socket and the entering head of the rain may cach have its own cross-sectional areas equal. But in prac tice, I find that if said socket bore and ram head be tapered, that is, formed with crosssectional areas successively and uniformly decreasing upwardly, a better and more rigid joint or fit results, and one which is more easily separated. I have, accordingly, in Figs. 3 and 4, particularly, with possibly some slight exaggeration, for the sake of illustration, shown this taper in both the socket and the ram head.

In order to positively insure the release of the ram from the socket when the plat form comes to rest upon the tracks of the stage floor, I associate with the connection a resilient member in the form of a spring 13. This spring is housed within a tube lfl; which is firmly fixed within the head of the ram and is steadied below by a plate l5; it may also be further steadied between its foot and top. At its top it has screwed to it a headflange 16 which is itself secured, as by means of the pins 17, Fig. 3, to the interior of the ram head. Into the head Yange I6 is screwed a false ring IS which confines a shouldered follower head I9 resting on top of the spring 13.- In assembling these parts the spring I3 and its follower head 19 are inserted in the housing tube la, and by means of a bolt, (not shown) temporarily passed through an opening Q0 in the follower head I9 and down through the axis of the spring and screwed into the bottom steadying plate 15 and then set up, the spring is initially condensed to admit the follower head 19 to the top of the tube lil and permit the false ring 18 to be screwed in, to confine said head and spring. Then the bolt is removed.

Depending` from the closed top of the socket member 5 is a pressure pin 2l.

lfVhen, as shown in Figs. l and 3, the ram has risen to and begins to enter its head into the socket member 5, the follower head 19 comes in contact with the pin 2l and as said ram continues to penetrate the socket, the follower head is forced down by said pin 2l thus condensing the spring, the limit of compression being reached when the ram head is home in the socket. Then the platform is elevated by the ram.

`When, as is assumed in Fig. 4l, the descent of the platform takes place until said platform rests on its rails, the spring 13, relieved of the weight of the platform, eX- pands, and, pushing upon the pin 2l, insures the withdrawal of the ram from the socket.

I claim l. In an elevator, the combination of a platform having a socket; and a reciprocativc ram adalited for a laterally rigid' slip lit in said socket, said ram being adaped to wholly withdraw from said socket when the platform is lowered.

Q. In an elevator, the cmnbinalion of a` platform having an upwardly tapering socket; and a reciprocal ive ram having an upwardly tapering head adapted .for a laten ally rigid slip lit in said socket, said ram being adapted to wholly withdraw its head from said socket when the platform is lowered.

3. In an elevator, the combination of a platform having a socket; a reciprocative ram adapted for a laterally rigid slip fit in said socket, said ram being adapted to Wholly Withdraw from said socket When the platform is lowered; and supplement-al means for positively initiating said Withdrawal.

4l. In an elevator, the combination of a platform having a socket; a reciprocative ram adapted for a laterally rigid slip lit in said socket, said ram being adapted to wholly Withdraw from said socket when the platform is low-ered and supplemental means carried by said socket and ram for positively initiating said Withdrawal.

5. In an elevator, the combination of a platform having an upwardly tapering socket; a reciprocative ram having an upwardly tapering head adapted for a lat-erally rigid slip tit in said socket, said ram being adapted to Wholly Withdraw its head from said socket when the platform is lowered, and supplemental means carried by said socket and ram head for positively initiating said Withdrawal.

6. In au elevator, the combination of a platform having a socket With a pressure pin fixed therein; a reciprocative ram having a head adapted for a laterally rigid slip fit in said socket, said ram being adapted to Wholly Withdraw its head from said socket when the platform is lowered; and a spring housed in the ram head, adapted to be compressed by the socket pin under the Weight of the platform and 'to be released for expansion When relieved of said Weight.

7. In an elevator, the combination of a platform having a plurality of sockets; and a plurality of separate reciprocative elevatiits in said sockets, said rams being adapted to Wholly Withdraw from said sockets when the platform is lowered.

8. In an elevator, the combination of a platform having a plurality of sockets; a plurality of separate reciprocative elevating rams adapted for laterally rigid slip lits in said sockets, said rams being adapted to wholly Withdraw from said sockets when the platform is lowered, and supplemental means associated With said sockets and rams for positively initiating said Withdrawal.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BURTON CHARLES VAN EMON.

ing rams adapted for laterally rigid slip. 

